


Christmas Day

by sg_wonderland



Series: Days series [2]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-17 06:56:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8134451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sg_wonderland/pseuds/sg_wonderland
Summary: A gentle Christmas story with Jack and a diminutive Daniel.





	

Jack looked at his calendar and winced. It was officially the Christmas season. The malls were decorated, the day-care was decorated, hell, even the SGC had sprouted signs of the season. And Carter had already been on his ass about what he was going to do for Daniel for Christmas.

Knowing the adult Daniel as he did, he guessed that his parents had made sure their son was more aware of the traditions of Christmas rather than the trappings. When he’d quizzed the kid, he’d just shrugged and said his parents hadn’t really been into the whole thing. He thought they had gone to some sort of church service last year, he remembered people singing and lighting candles. 

But he could remember no tree, no turkey dinner. As Daniel had pointed out with cool logic, where would you find a pine tree or a turkey in Egypt? And as he looked like he was about to go into lecture mode, Jack had stopped him by asking what he wanted for Christmas. What he got in return was a quirked eyebrow and an excellent view of Daniel’s little backside as the kid tromped upstairs, quietly closing the guest room door behind him.

*

So he had taken the coward’s way out and asked Dr. Bennett what he thought he should do. The good doctor sat Jack down and gave him a very short, succinct lecture about referring to Daniel’s room as the guest room. “He’s never going to think of your house as home until you make it his home, Jack. And the first thing is to turn the guest room into Daniel’s room. Paint it a different color, get some kid stuff in there. Make it a place he wants to come to at the end of the day. Oh, and he thinks your telescope is very cool, if you can take a hint.”

*

As a result, Jack had gotten Carter to help him pick out some colors she thought Daniel might like. Woman like, she thought they should have a theme and going out on a limb, she suggested the desert. For the walls, they picked out a soft sand color and the ceiling, a deep, dark, midnight blue, to which she suggested tiny glow-in-the-dark stars.

Janet had taken Daniel to the mall with Cassie while SG-1 transformed an ordinary guest room into a kid’s room. Jack insisted the full bed be left in; he argued that it wouldn’t be long before Daniel would grow into it. The room was big enough for a good sized computer desk, several bookshelves and a kid-friendly bureau. Teal’c had installed lower rods in the closet and added some baskets on rollers for Daniel’s toys. 

The non-descript window treatments were replaced with shades and dark blue curtains to match the ceiling. A reversible comforter in light and dark blue had been Jack’s selection and Sam had to admit it wasn’t bad. A ladder helped place the stars on the ceiling and by the time Janet called, they were ready to meet for dinner. 

*

They looked nothing like your typical Hallmark holiday family, Jack thought as they seated themselves around the table. Oh, Carter could probably pass for Daniel’s mother, but that was where the resemblance ended. Janet was sitting with Cassie, who bore no resemblance to her mother. Teal’c, who didn’t look like anyone and Jack, well, he figured he looked like Daniel’s grandfather. Daniel let himself be plopped up in the booster seat and he might have actually smiled at Teal’c, who handed him a menu. Jack smirked when he saw the waitress’s expression and couldn’t resist having some fun.

“So, Daniel, do you know what you want?”

He peeped solemnly over the large menu. “Yes, I’ll have the chicken stuffed pita with steamed carrots. And a cup of coffee, please.”

Jack snorted. “He’ll have the chicken stuffed pita, steamed carrots and a milk.” He shook his head at the stormy expression across the table. “I don’t care if it is Christmas, Daniel, you’re not having coffee.” He perused the menu quizzically.

“Come on, Jack, everyone knows what you’re going to order.”

“They do, do they?”

Daniel’s eyes rounded innocently, looking at the waitress. “He’ll have the sirloin, medium rare, baked potato, plain, salad, blue cheese dressing, hold the cucumbers, please.” Daniel paused, his eyes taking on a wicked gleam. “And a glass of milk.”

“Hey, I was gonna order a beer!”

“You can’t, unless you want me to drive home?”

Jack grinned, handing his menu over. “What he said. Only change the milk to iced tea.”

*

Daniel was dragging by the time they got home, only protesting slightly when Jack carried him in one arm, juggling shopping bags in the other. What was it, he wondered as he kicked the door closed behind him, about women who thought you had to buy something every single time you went to the mall? In Jack’s opinion, Daniel had plenty of clothes; in Cassie’s, he was a horribly deprived child whose closet was woefully empty. 

He managed to get everything up the stairs without serious incident, making his way in by the hallway light. “Come on, let’s get you to bed. You can check out your new room in the morning.” Jack dropped the bags, and gently lowered Daniel to his bed before returning to Daniel’s room to fetch his things, unwilling to let a child sleep in a room that still reeked of paint fumes. He had gotten quite experienced at changing a sleeping child; there were some things of which you never lost the knack. Fifteen minutes later, Daniel was under the covers, rabbit tucked snugly underneath him, Jack took a minute to rest, just watching him sleep. The rabbit only appeared now at bedtime and the odd doctor’s appointments.

Tomorrow, he was going to broach the subject of a Christmas tree, he wasn’t entirely sure Daniel had even seen one. Maybe in books. After a few quiet minutes, Jack rose and leaned over to kiss Daniel’s forehead. “Sleep tight, little man.”

*

“Jack?”

He looked up in surprise to see Daniel stumbling down the steps. Since Jack was off, Daniel didn’t have to go to day-care and he could have slept in. 

“Hey, what are you doing up so early?”

“What happened to....?” He pointed behind him.

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s okay. But why?”

“Come over here.” Daniel obediently padded over and climbed up on the couch beside him. “It’s your room now, Daniel, we just wanted to make it something you’d like. Do you? Like it, I mean.”

“It’s cool, thanks.”

“You think it’s nice now, wait ‘til you see it at night.”

*

Much to Jack’s surprise, Daniel didn’t object to the Christmas tree even agreeing to go to a tree farm and pick out a live one. He did perk up once he found out they could buy one that could be set out in the yard after the holidays. Relieved to avoid the lecture about the destruction of live trees, Jack approved Daniel’s selection of a nicely bushy blue spruce. 

Carter had received the awaited call and she and Fraiser had agreed to delve into the mall shops for new decorations, taking his credit card a little too gleefully for Jack’s comfort. He suspected he was in for a tastefully decorated, color-coordinated tree. And he also feared that decorations wouldn’t stop there. Something was mentioned about his mantel and the front door and he lost the will to live right about there.

Daniel watched, fascinated, as their tree was hooked up to a machine that shook all the loose needles off, then bundled it for the trip home. Jack watched Daniel, just as fascinated by his face, framed by the hood of his bright red snow suit. Having lived in Egypt his entire life, Daniel had found adjusting to a Colorado winter a bit problematic. Hence, the snow suit, which he was looking forward to seeing Daniel taking for a test drive with the skates that would soon be under the tree.

He wasn’t surprised to find that Santa’s elves were still shopping at the mall when they got home. Teal’c, who had accompanied them to the farm, unloaded the tree and he and Jack fit it in the stand while Daniel watched curiously. Any other child, Jack realized, would have been bouncing off the walls, but Daniel just observed silently.

“Daniel Jackson, I understand a Christmas tree is an important part of your people’s tradition. Is there a reason behind this?”

Jack rolled his eyes at the forthcoming lecture. But when it didn’t materialize, he glanced over, horrified to see tears streaming down Daniel’s face. “Daniel, what’s wrong?” He swooped him up in his arms.

“I don’t know,” he admitted on a sob.

“Maybe you miss your mom and dad? That’s okay to miss them, you know that, don’t you?” Jack sat down and balanced Daniel on his knee, tucking his head into his shoulder. “And if you want to talk about them, we’re all right here to listen, okay?”

He nodded, sniffling. “I don’t want to make everybody sad.”

“You aren’t. I promise. So, how about we have some lunch and wait for the girls to get back with our decorations. And we can talk about what we want to do for Christmas dinner. Have you ever had turkey before?” Daniel shook his head. “Well, it tastes like chicken.”

Daniel made the effort, since Jack had. “You said that about the macaroni and cheese.”

 

*

“So, people get each other presents at Christmas?” Daniel was moving his salad around on his plate, hoping Jack wouldn’t notice he wasn’t eating.

“Eat it, don’t play with it. Yes, people get each other presents.”

“Am I supposed to get people presents?” Jack stifled a laugh at the absolute panic in Daniel’s eyes.

“No, kids aren’t required to get presents for each other. Kids are supposed to receive presents.”

Daniel studied the logic of his statement. “That doesn’t seem very fair. To the adults, I mean.”

“Well, sometimes adults get each other presents. I mean, I get Sam and Teal’c and Fraiser presents.”

“Do you get presents, Teal’c?”

“Indeed, Daniel Jackson, I have grown to enjoy this tradition. Like O’Neill, I take pleasure in procuring gifts for my family.”

“And General Hammond?”

Jack scooted the salad back to the middle of Daniel’s plate. “Yes, General Hammond, too. If you’d like, you can sign your name on the tags and they can be from both of us. And we’ll do that, right after you eat.”

Daniel sighed in defeat and reluctantly ate his salad.

*

The elves had returned with the decorations that, as Jack feared, had grown to what he considered epic proportions.

“Geez, this ain’t the White House tree! How many strings of lights you gotta have anyway?”

Janet bared her teeth at him. “I think one string of light per foot is a good average. So it’s a seven foot tree, that means it needs at least seven strings of light.”

“That’s..that’s...” he sputtered, “like a thousand lights.”

Daniel stage whispered to Sam. “And people think he’s dumb?”

“I know,” she replied gravely. “I can’t understand it either.”

“Daniel, how did your bedroom turn out?” Cassie had long ago gotten bored with the light testing and was currently draping herself with tinsel.

“It’s neat. You want to see?”

“Sure.” They bolted up the stairs.

“I thought kids were supposed to like this stuff?” Jack complained.

“Neither one of them actually grew up doing this.” Janet pointed out. “Give him some time, Jack. After a couple of years, I promise Daniel will be circling things in the catalogs and dropping hints like crazy. So, what are you getting him?”

Jack glanced up the steps, then leaned over. “His own telescope.”

“Very good idea.”

“Can’t take credit for it. Bennett suggested it. I believe there is a bicycle hiding in someone’s SGC quarters, although he might not be able to use that until spring. Um, I thought about getting him some ice skates.”

“I think he would appreciate that. Cassie kept a list of stuff he looked at the other day when we were at the mall.” She handed Jack a sheet of paper.

“There are times when I appreciate the stealthiness of women. Thanks, Doc. You might find something very nice in your stocking come Christmas morning.”

“So what are you doing Christmas Day?”

“Other than opening presents? I believe a certain doctor has requested the honor of our presence for dinner that day. And the general has indicated that an appearance at his house is mandatory. I’m trying not to overload Daniel with too much stuff, you know? He had a bit of a sniffle earlier when we were putting the tree up.”

Janet gently stroked his arm. “We’re here for you, Jack. Both of you.”

*

Christmas Eve found the two of them spending some quiet time home together. Jack had turned down the numerous invitations Daniel had received from the day-care set, wanting to keep as much pressure off the kid as possible. The only function he had agreed, albeit reluctantly, for them to attend was the SGC family get-together, where the now-tiny Daniel, with his blonde curls, big blue eyes and scrupulously polite manners, was repeatedly pronounced to be a perfect angel. Jack laughed at that, especially after Alice Ferretti emailed him a picture of a solemn Daniel having what seemed like a serious discussion with Santa. She probably thought Daniel was detailing his ‘I want’ list; Jack figured Daniel was quizzing the jolly fellow about what artifacts might be hanging around the Pole.

And he had also fended off some persistent persuasion from his parents to bring Daniel to Chicago for the holidays. Jack had declined, wanting to have as quiet a holiday as possible. The only way he prevented an onslaught from all the folks who wanted to meet their brand new relative was to agree to let his parents, and only them, visit Colorado, they were currently shooting for the New Year.

Jack ignored the fact that the rabbit had left his usual place in the bedroom and was currently being carried everywhere Daniel went. After a simple dinner, Jack tidied up the kitchen, turned the lights out so the only illumination was the tree and the fireplace. It wasn’t until after he sprawled on the couch that he realized just how tired he was. The past few weeks had been crazy; SG-1 had been off world more than they’d been on, meaning that Daniel had been with Dr. Fraiser.

Jack had missed him like crazy; it still amazed him how much the kid had come to mean to him. All of them, actually. Cassie had him petted to death, but then, so did Sam and Fraiser and even General Hammond was pretty much wrapped around Daniel’s little finger. Teal’c had always revered Daniel, so no change there. Dr. Bennett admitted Daniel was one of his favorite patients, even if he drove him to the edge of distraction sometimes. After his initial stiffness, Daniel was now a favorite of pretty much everyone at the day-care, staff and kids alike

Jack felt his arm being bumped up as Daniel slid under it. Obliging the silent demand, Jack moved him over onto his lap, letting Daniel snuggle up to him. He cherished these rare moments because Daniel was not usually a snuggler. Jack just held him, letting him get comfortable, giving him that little extra reassurance.

“Jack?”

“Yeah, kid?”

“I’m glad you found me.”

“Me, too, kid. Me, too.”


End file.
